Cruel Hands Of Destiny
by ashrac
Summary: Rajesh felt nothing special when he first met Mathews, but as they began to spend more of their time together, their understanding of each other grew better and they began to like each other. Within a span of few months they became inseparable part of each other's life,only to be separated by the cruel hands of destiny.


We meet so many different people in the course of our day to day activities that it becomes nearly impossible to remember each and every one of them for long. Yet occasionally, we do come across someone who strikes the right cords in our mind to such an extent that he goes on to occupy an important place in of our heart and becomes inseparable to our life.

Each one of us might have had experienced that feeling at some point of time.

Rajesh felt the same when he met Mathews for the first time. There was nothing special about their first encounter. Mathews hailed from Kerala and to Rajesh he was like any other person who joined and left the office. Rajesh welcomed him, like everyone else in his department, with a professional smile, which spoke more of formality than genuine warmth.

Call it the effect of the difference of cultures, a change of environment or his nature, Mathews kept to himself most of the time. It was against his nature to pass off his time standing idly, talking to his colleagues. He kept himself busy with his work and did not like going to someone's desk to seek company. Whenever time permitted he could be seen engaged with himself. Many a times Rajesh tried to come close to him but each time Mathews shrugged him off politely, citing one reason or another and excused himself. Mathews's cold attitude made Rajesh back off silently and he waited patiently for the right moment to befriend Mathews for which he did not have to wait long.

The turning point in their relationship came when both of them were assigned to the same project and were allotted the same desk. That provided them the opportunity to come close to each other. As they began to spend more of their time together, their understanding of each other grew better and they began to like each other. They took interest in exploring each other's insides and within a span of few months became inseparable part of each other's life.

Mathews hailed from an orthodox Christian Malayali family. His father was a fisherman and till then was the sole bread earner of the family. Mathews was the only child of his parents and because of the limited earnings of his father, had led a very modest life. In spite of them being uneducated themselves, Mathews's parents were cautious about their child's future. They were deadly against Mathews donning the garb of a fisherman, so they left no stone unturned to provide him the best possible education and made sure that their son was well bred. Mathews was brought up in a highly disciplined environment. But in their zeal they forgot to understand that Mathews was a child and had his own dreams and desires. He was not allowed to savour the taste of childhood activities and mischief. When other children could be seen playing in the field, he was absorbed in his books. No wonder he went friendless during most of his schooling years. That left a sour taste in his mouth, which became even worse with the passage of time. All his feelings as a child were trampled upon. He detested the strictness but felt powerless to oppose and so continued to move with the tide.

The strict discipline yielded results when Mathews obtained his professional degree with flying colours and got selected in a highly reputed company. Although all the disciplined life that Mathews had lived so far brought him rich benefits, it turned him into a cold person. He detested everyone. He felt awkward in a group and was happier when left to himself. He liked working alone. He very rarely smiled. He failed to appreciate the value of friendship. He always felt worried that matters would get complicated once he entered into a friendship with someone.

But things started to change when Mathews came into contact with Rajesh. Their closeness that started with casual handshakes soon gave way to heartwarming hugs and within no time they turned into good friends. Rajesh could feel that Mathews was beginning to create a special place in his life.

From that day on their camaraderie took a new meaning and grew steadily with each passing day. It was the effect of that camaraderie that Mathews started to confide in Rajesh and began to open his heart to him gradually. They started to share their secrets with each other and their friendship blossomed to the point where if one got hurt the other felt the pain.

Rajesh had been married for a year. The name of his wife was Seema. She was a jovial lady with amiable manners. She liked taking good care of her guests so when Mathews visited their house for the first time, she proved herself to be a good host. Mathews was greatly moved by her welcoming attitude and warm heartedness. He could not restrain himself from revisiting Rajesh's house regularly. As their friendship began to take strong roots and both spent most of time together, Mathews rented an apartment in the same locality as that of Rajesh so that he could be more close to his friend. In Rajesh's wife he had found a loving sister who looked after him as her younger brother. Mathews pressed his demands in front of her without any hesitation like a child and she took care of them with a smile, never showing a least bit of frown. She liked his childish ways of making requests. She enjoyed taking care of his household stuff while he was away at office. They were always readily available to each other in their hours of distress.

Mathews felt genuinely happy for the first time in his life. He had always been a loner. Finally, in Rajesh he was able to find a family away from his home. He liked his new family more than the one back home. In his new family he was treated like a human being, who was full of feelings and people were willing to take care of those feelings. He was loved like the way he wanted to be.

When things seemed to be moving pretty happily for everyone, destiny played its cruel hand all of a sudden. Rajesh still shudders from the thoughts of that ominous fortnight that left permanent scars in his life. He clearly remembers that day.

It was a Monday morning and Rajesh was busy on his project when Mathews came running to him. He was barely able to contain his excitement. Rajesh offered him a seat and gave him time to calm his racing nerves. He ordered coffee for both of them. After the coffee had been served and Mathews had enjoyed a few minutes of restless silence, he broke the news to Rajesh- Mathews was going to meet his future life partner very soon for which he had to leave for his native village. He had been granted a fortnight's leave by the office and was to depart for his village the coming day.

Rajesh felt both happy and sad on hearing the news. Happy that Mathews was going to start his family life and sad because he had to pass those fifteen days without seeing his friend. They had got so attached to each other that a separation of mere one day was unthinkable, and there he was speaking of going on a leave of fifteen days. He shuddered at the very thought of missing his friend for the coming fifteen days but Rajesh did not want to dampen his friend's high spirits so he suppressed his feelings, congratulated his friend and wished him good luck. Condition of Mathews was no better. Overtly he might seem to be enjoying the moment yet in his insides he found it difficult to come to terms with the fact that he would have to move away from his friend for full fifteen days. The reality was extremely painful to him as well.

Next day Rajesh and Seema went to the railway station along with Mathews to see him off. He was given a moist send off. They all continued to waive at each other till the train was out of sight. Once the train was gone, the couple found it hard to turn back. Their feet felt stuck to the ground. With a heavy heart they were finally able to move out of the station and return to their residence. Upon reaching their house and unlocking its door, they stared at the emptiness of its insides for a few moments before moving in. The house that was so lively just a day earlier stood completely lifeless before their eyes. Mathews's absence was clearly evident.

Coming days were spent in getting a grip on the situation. Each morning at office Rajesh's eyes would automatically drift towards the seat left vacant by Mathews. His eyes would frantically search the seat for any signs of its occupant in a faint hope of finding him there and when they failed to register his presence; his face would drop with sadness. He found it hard to concentrate on his daily work. His mind automatically drifted towards his colleague while working on some problem. He deeply missed his advice. At home condition of Seema was no better. She fought a losing battle to keep Mathews out of her mind. She missed his pranks and childish demands. Images of Mathews with his characteristic smile sprang before her eyes.

The couple passed their time counting the days; their only means of contact with Mathews being the phone.

Meanwhile, Mathews had reached his village safely. Both Rajesh and Seema took their turns to speak to him on phone when he called them to let them know about his safe journey. It was a highly passionate conversation, full of emotions. They could feel a lump form in their throats as they spoke to Mathews and had to cut the conversation short as they found it difficult to continue with the call. They wished him good luck for his planned meeting with his future life partner and hung up.

Mathews made it a point to call Rajesh and Seema daily and apprised them of his daily activities like an overzealous child. They talked for hours and never got tired of listening to each other's stories of the day. Mathews told his friend about how he had rediscovered his parents. He had finally come to realize that his parents truly loved him and it was utterly childish of him to take their true love and their concern for his wellbeing as strictness and a restraint on his freedom. According to Mathews, it was closeness to Rajesh and Seema that had helped him understand his parents better, for which he would be indebted to them for his whole life.

Finally the day arrived when Mathews was scheduled to meet his life partner. It was a special day for him. He had woken early that day and was feeling extremely excited. He could not wait to call Rajesh and his excitement was difficult to hide as he spoke to the couple. He spoke animatedly about what he planned to do once he was face to face with the girl. He sought the blessings of his friend and his wife for the successful meeting. After few minutes of conversation, Mathews hung up the phone, promising to call them as soon as he had some good news.

Rajesh and Seema waited the whole day and into the night for the promised good news but the expected call never came, though they received numerous other calls that seemed unimportant at that moment. Their wait seemed endless. They checked their mobile instruments numerous times just to make sure that phones were in order and they had not missed the expected call but each time they had to turn back dejected.

When Seema could not wait any longer and it was quite late she requested Rajesh to call Mathew, strains of worry clearly visible on her forehead. It was so unlike Mathews to not call as promised. Rajesh seemed reluctant to carry out his wife's wishes at that odd hour and it was only after much persuasion from Seema that he finally relented and dialed Mathews's number. To his disappointment the phone was switched off. Both felt sick with worry but it was too late for any further action so they thought it best to wait patiently for the coming morning when they were sure of getting some good news about Mathews. Instead, the next day and days after that passed off without receiving a single call from Mathews. They were clearly upset by his lack of responsible behavior and swore on their breath to give him a strong rebuke once he came back. But as the days came and passed by without receiving any information on Mathews, Rajesh and Seema's anger gave way to genuine worry. They called him several times but failed to connect each time. That got them even more worried.

Unable to get any news on Mathews and fearing the worst, Rajesh made up his mind to travel to Kerala and meet Mathews but a sudden problem in the project, that he was working on, held him back. A week was consumed in working out a solution to that problem and by the time it was taken care of, it was also time for Mathews to return.

Rajesh went to the railway station to receive Mathews and waited impatiently for the train to arrive, lines of worry clearly visible on his face. The train arrived at its scheduled time and he rushed to the compartment in which Mathews had reserved a seat. He checked every passenger that alighted from that compartment but could not locate his friend. Carefully he checked the whole train to its last passenger but failed to find Mathews. He waited for another extra hour at the station in the hope of meeting his friend but his wait proved futile. Dejectedly he left the station and returned to his house. Finding him returning alone, Seema raised many questions but Rajesh kept silent and quickly moved to his living room, deeply lost in his thoughts, followed by an equally deeply worried Seema. It was without doubts clear to both of them that some untoward incident had befallen Mathews. Rajesh was unable to sleep that night. Next day he requested a week's leave from office and booked a flight to Kerala for the same evening.

Night had already fallen when his plane landed at Trivandrum airport, so he spent the remainder of the night at the passenger lounge of the airport, waiting for day break. No sooner was it day outside; he hired a cab and moved to Mathews's village.

It took him around three hours to reach his friend's village. Upon entering the village he asked directions to Mathews's residence and whomever he spoke to for directions answered him with grim faces providing further air to his worst fears about Mathews. Finally Rajesh was able to locate the house after much difficulty owing mainly to unknown territory and the language barrier. With trembling fingers and a pounding heart he knocked at the door and waited impatiently for it to open.

After a few minutes of wait, the door was opened by a middle aged lady with graying hairs. From the photographs that Mathews had once shown to him, Rajesh was able to recognize his friend's mother immediately. She was draped in a white sari and wore a gloomy look. She had cuts and bruises all over her face and hands. Her eyes were swollen and dark patches circled them. It did not need a second look at her face to confirm that she had been crying a lot.

Rajesh felt awkward and found it difficult to introduce himself. Words failed to come out of his mouth. With a bit of stammer he was finally able to break the silence and tried to introduce himself in the best possible manner he could think of. To his immense relief he did not have to work hard. Mathews's mother recognized him immediately. She had been expecting his visit for some time. Silently, she made way for him and motioned him to come inside. Once inside, Rajesh found the condition of Mathews's father no better. He was all plastered and lying on the bed. The pathetic sight heightened Rajesh's uneasy feeling. His anxious eyes started to search Mathews but failed to locate him everywhere.

With a pounding heart Rajesh inquired about the whereabouts of his friend and what he heard shook the earth beneath his feet. His head began to spin in circles and there was darkness before his eyes. He clutched his spinning head with his hands and sat on the floor on his knees to avoid falling down. It felt as if the voice of Mathews's mother was coming from some faraway place and barely audible. Unable to believe his ears, he requested Mathews's mother to repeat her words, expecting a different answer. But her reply remained the same even the second time, which left no room for doubt about his friend's location.

His friend had succumbed to his injuries, he had sustained in a car accident.

The family was returning home after meeting the girl. Everyone was in high spirits and talking loudly. Mathews's father was seated besides the driver, while he and his mother were seated at the back. Their car was cruising at a good speed since the road was almost empty. Only a few vehicles could be seen moving on the road. As they were about to reach their village a speeding truck suddenly appeared from the front, approaching their car from the wrong side of the road. In order to avoid the collision, their driver took a sharp turn and lost control of his vehicle. The car bumped into a tree at full speed. It was a fatal crash. All the occupants of the car were badly hurt. They were rushed to a nearby hospital where everyone except Mathews escaped the claws of death. Doctors tried their level best but failed to save him, who ultimately succumbed to his injuries. All through the treatment Mathews fought a valiant battle with his injuries; never leaving the slightest hope of defeating death till his last moment. A strong will to live was clearly visible in his eyes. He endured the pain with great determination and at one point seemed to be winning over the situation. But destiny had other plans for him.

After fighting a long battle valiantly Mathews could hold the fort no longer. He found it impossible to endure any more of the pain so he let his soul leave his body. He went far away from everyone forever leaving behind his weeping parents and loads of sweet memories.

Mathews's mother did not tell Rajesh initially but he came to know from her own mouth later on that his friend's last few remaining breaths were constantly asking for Rajesh. His dying eyes sought his friend among the crowd. Each rising and falling beat of his sinking heart yearned for Rajesh. Everyone present at the bedside frantically tried to fulfill that last wish of a dying man but Mathews clearly instructed everyone not to do so. He was sure that once Rajesh comes to know of the accident he would surely leave everything behind and rush to friend's side. It was what Mathews did not want. Rajesh was working on the final stages of his project which would prove to be an important milestone in his future growth. Disturbing him at that crucial juncture would prove harmful to his friend's future and Mathews did not want that to happen. His friend's successful future meant more to him than his petty personal wishes.

Tears began to fill the eyes of Rajesh and gushed out of them like a stream. What a true friend Mathews had proved himself to be. Even during his last few remaining breaths, Mathews was more concerned about his friend's well being than his own wishes while on the other hand, Rajesh, who claimed himself to be a true friend of Mathews, could not even find time to fulfill the last wishes of his dying friend. He cursed himself repeatedly for not coming early. He could have forced himself to leave the project and attend to his ailing friend but he was so concerned with himself that the interests of his friend became secondary to his personal needs. He felt ashamed of his act and found himself unworthy of being called a true friend. But what had been done could not be reversed and it was now futile to ask for his friend's forgiveness.

After getting to know everything and spending some time with the family, Rajesh left the house with a heavy heart. All through the journey back to the airport his mind kept on thinking about the divine justice meted out to Mathews. Was it true divine justice? Was God correct in taking back a pious life at such an early stage?

World is full of innumerable people whose lives mean little to others yet they survive and live their full life while here was Mathews who had come into this world like a beautiful flower eager to spread its fragrance everywhere yet the cruel hands of death crushed that flower ruthlessly even before it could blossom into its full glory.


End file.
